Roller means for slidable closure member



Nov. 19, 1963 H. M. RIEGELMAN ROLLER MEANS FOR SLIDABLE CLOSURE MEMBER Filed May 9. 1960 INV EN TOR.

United States Patent Office Patented Nov. 19, 1963 3,111,269 ROLLER MEANS FR SLIIBABLE CLSURE MEMBER Harry M. legelman, Rolling Hills, Calif., assigner to Security Aluminum Corporation, Compton, Calif., a corporation of Calinfornia Filed May 9, 1960, Ser. No. 27,829 9 Claims. (Cl. 18g-64) This invention relates generally to sliding closures, and, more particularly, relates to a novel and improved slidable closure member for windows, doors, and other constructions.

In the building industry, it is quite common to find that the metal or other frame in which the window or door sashes are to be mounted are not absolutely square at the corners even if workmen are reasonably careful. In many instances, where one of the window sashes is of the horizontally slidable type, the out-of-square condition encountered gives rise to at least several major problems. First, when the stile of the closure member meets the jamb of the metal frame, and an out-of-square condition exists, the stile of course does not seat itself parallel to the jamb, and drafts and cold air may readily enter through the gap between the jamb and stile. Secondly, locking mechanisms (generally aiiixed to the stile) have a projection) adapted to lock into a locking groove in the door frame or in the mullion of a stationary window panel. However, if the metal frame is out of square, the locking projection will not be readily accepted, if at all, by the locking groove, thus making the locking of the slidable closure member diicult, if not practically impossible.

Bearing in mind the foregoing facts, it is a major object of the present invention to provide a window or door construction wherein an out-of-square condition of the outer frame can be readily and very economically compensated for by my novel slidable sash member.

It is another object of this invention to provide a window or door construction wherein the stile of a slidable closure member is fully registrable with a jamb of an outof-square frame.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a window or door construction having a slidable sash member and a locking device mounted thereto adapted to lock into the locking groove of a stile or mullion of a second panel member regardless of the out-of-square condition of the outer frame.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel slidable sash for a window or door construction wherein the slidable sash member is readily adjustable with respect to the outer frame at a plurality of points, so that an out-of-square metal frame can be readily compensated for.

. Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel means for guiding the closure member within the track of a metal frame with reduced friction.

These and other objects of my invention will become clearly understood by referring to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a window construction, partially in section, embodying my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged end elevational view, in cross section, along the line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational View, in cross section, along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, in cross section, along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective rView `of the roller means of my invention for incorporation into a slidable closure member.

In general, my invention comprises a novel sash adapted for horizontal slidable movement in the track of a frame incorporating a plurality of inexpensive roller means of novel design. These roller devices are mounted at one or more corners of the slidable sash member of the door or window construction and are individually adjustable in a vertical direction, by means of a simple adjustment, so that the sash may be accurately registered with any lack of squareness in the frame in which the sash slides. Once the desired registration is obtained, the roller may be very stably aixed to the sash so that, during continued use, the rollers will not loosen.

My adjustable roller devices also have affixed thereto guide means for the purpose of guiding the slidable sash along the track of an outer frame and with reduced friction.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGURE l, a window construction embodying my invention is shown by way of illustration only, and is not to be construed as limiting my invention. The window construction comprises an outer, preferably metal, frame 12, in which is slidably mounted a left hand sash member 14, and a right hand panel member 16. The panel member 16 may be fixed or slidable; if slidable, its construction is identical to that of sash member 14, to be described.

The metal frame 12 consists of a pair of spaced jambs 18, y18a formed from aluminum extrusions and an upper and lower track 29, 22 respectively, also formed from aluminum extrusions. The jambs 18, 18a are afxed to the tracks 2t), 2.2 in any suitable manner, e.g. by corner screws. As a typical example, the lower left corner of frame 1'2 is held by the corner screw 24; corner screw 24 is threadably mounted in a channel 2.6 of the lower track Z2, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, to affix jamb 18 to lower track 22.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 5, yas well as to FIGURE l, the slidable closure member 14 of my invention includes a sash frame Sil in which is set a glass pane 32. The sash frame 30 comprises a right and left hand stile 34, 36 mounted to a top and bottom rail 38, 4W in any conventional manner. For example, the stiles 34, 36 and rails 33, 40 are beveled at 45 and joined by corner screws `86 as will be described in more detail hereafter.

The sash frame 30 has two individually adjustable roller means Sil of my invention (my roller means 5t) bein-g shown in perspective in FIGURE 5) axed to each lower corner thereof; the purpose of these roller devices is to align the sash 14 with the metal frame 12 regardless of the amount of lack of squareness of the frame 12. The roller means Sil and its method of mounting to the lower left corner of sash 14 will now be described; it is to be understood that the roller means Sil may be afxed to any corner of the sash 14 in the same manner as described with respect to this one corner.

As best seen in FIGURE 4, the stile 36 has its inner vertical end open to accept the vertical edge of `glass pane 32. The lglass pane 32 is seated in a peripheral plastic or rubber channel 52, the channel 52, in turn being seated in the stile 36. The other edges of the glass pane 32. are similarly mounted in stile 34 and rails 38 and 4%.

The stile 36 is essentially formed of an inner and an outer side wall 56, yS8 joined by a cross-member or brace 54' which runs preferably substantially the entire length of the stile 36, and is preferably integrally formed in the aluminum extrusion of the stile itself. The cross-member S4 is ailixed intermediate the ends of the side walls 56, 58 of the stile 36 to form thereby a generally rectangular vertically extending pocket dit and a vertically extending channel 62. My roller means 5t), to be presently described, is mounted within the pocket Gil of the stile 36 adjacent the lower corner thereof.

The roller means or device 50 comprises a molded onepiece plastic bodyA 64, preferably made of nylon. The

mounting bracket or roller body 64 has a generally elongated and rectangular stem 65, and an enlarged base portion 63 at one end thereof for rotatably receiving a wheel 711.

The roller body 64 and the rotatable wheel can be assembled in any number of ways ibut `from the point of view of simplicity and economy, l prefer to mold the body I64- with an elongated channel 67 of a given normal thickness running from the base portion 63- well up into the stem 66. The `one-piece wheel 7d, preferably made of nylon or other tough plastic material, has an integral axle 72 centrally located thereon. The normally parallel Walls of the nylon base 68 are readily separated because of the flexible nature of the material and the presence of elongated channel 67. The wheel 7?, with its axle having a greater thickness than that of the normal thickness of the channel, must be forced between the flared walls of base 68 until the axle 72 is in registry with aligned open- -ings 74 in the base walls. At this point, the separated walls snap back into their normal parallel attitude due to the inherent exibility of the plastic material, and engage the wheel. The Wheel 70 is thus mounted for rotation within the roller body 64, without the need -tor any additional pins or fasteners.

In order to mount the roller means d onto the sash 14, the stem 66 of the roller means 5@ is iirst inserted linto the pocket 61B* of the stile 36 until the enlarged base portion 61S of the roller means abuts a screw channel 78 in the bottom -rail Alti.

A vertically elongated adjustin-g slot S6 is provided in the cross-member 5e (see FIGURE 3) and a self-tapping screw 82 is passed therethrough, and into the solid block` portion of the nylon roller body de. Upon tightening the screw 82, the solid nylon block exerts a substantial and constant resistance lto the screw thereby providing a selflocking action for the screw. Additional locking mean-s, such as a lock nut, are thus found to be unnecessary. Upon the seating of the screw 82 on the cross-member 54, abutting the edges of slot 89, the roller means 5t? is rigidly mounted in the left `lower corner of the sash member i14.

It will be noted that the lowest point on the periphery of the wheel 70 lies below the rail dit when the adjusting screw 82 lies at its uppermost position in adjusting slot Si). Thus, as the screw SZ is loosened, allowing the roller means '50 to be moved downwardly, the wheel 70 moves lby translational motion only to a lower position with respect to the trail 40.

It should also be noted that the upstanding ilange 90 in the track 22 may be sufficiently raised so that the wheel 704 does not lie below the rail 40a The channel 62 lformed in the st-ile 36 houses the adjusting screw `32 and the fastening corner screw Se so that when the slidable closure member 14- is removed from the jamb 18, these screws do not project from the sti-le. While the presence of channel 62 is preferable, it is not an essential part of my invention. It will also be noted that the screws 8,2, 86 are in the plane of movement of the sash 14 and thus cannot hinder the sliding movement of the sash.

Attention is drawn to the fact that if the sash frame 3d is fastened by corner screws, such screws may be passed through the upper portion of elongated roller channel e7 and into the screw channel '78. For example, corner screw S6 is passed through cross-member 54 of stile 36, through roller channel 67, and into screw channel 7S. Thus, no additional drilling of screw holes is required even if the corners of the :sash frame are fastened by corner screws. The sash vfra-me may also be reinforced at the corners by a welded 'angle piece SS, as shown in FIGURE 3.

The roller body 6d has a semi-circular groove 11 formed in its upper portion. Fllhe presence of groove 110 enables the roller means 59 to be inserted into the pocket 60 of the stile 36 while still clearing the screw channel 7 3, the end of which terminates in the plane of the pocket 6i?. (Screw channel 7 3 terminates in this manner because of the nature of the extruding process.)

The identical procedure just described is followed in mounting a second adjustable roller means 50 to the right lower corner of sash member 14 (shown in phantom outline in FIGURE 1), or to the upper corners of the sash member, if desired. An adjustable roller means 50 is preferred in each of the lower corners although it is sometimes possible to use only one adjustable roller means. The following description assumes that roller means Sil is mounted in eaoh of the lower corners of the sash 14.

The wheels 7@ of the roller means 50 of my slidable sash 14 rides on a longitudinally extending upstanding flange 9@ in the lower track 22 of Ithe metal frame 12. if the metal frame 12 is out of square then the sash member 1 4 must be compensated to avoid locking difliculties and drafts as discussed before.

ln order -to compensate for the out-of-square condition, either the right or left hand roller means Si) is adjusted by being moved vertically thus moving one end of the sash member vertically an amount sufficient to render the jamb 1S and stile 36 parallel. Adjustment of roller means 5t? by translational positioning along the stile 36 is readily accomplished by merely loosening adjusting screw 32 and moving the screw (and the attached roller means 50) upwardly or downwardly in the `adjusting slot 67, as the particular case requires, and as indicated by the solid vertical double-headed arrow 92 in FIGURE 3. The screw 82 is then tightened onto cross-member 54 to again rigidly lock the roller means Si?. Thus, the sash member 14 will, in elect, tilt into registry with the out-of-square metal frame.

'lt will be noted lthat the ends of the slot Si) determine the limits of adjustment for translational movement of the sash member 1d.

Upon vertically adjusting one or the other of rollers 50 so that the stile 36 is parallel to jamb 18, the weatherstripping 96 mounted in a side face 56 of stile 36, abuts the end flange 97 of the jamb 18; however, if the stile 36 were not parallel to the jamb 13, it will be seen that a portion ot the weatherstripping 96 would not contact the jamb 18, and cold air could enter through the gap created. Correcting for this out-of-square condition, `as I have done, eliminates drafts from this source. Also any tilting of the sash required idoes not reduce the effectiveness of the horizontal weatherstripping 100 in contact with the center ilange 162 of the track 22 of the frame 12. This is because the center ange 102 has suicient height so that even substantial amounts of tilting will not cause any of the weatherstripping 16d to be disengaged from the center ilange.

The window panel 16 may also be provided with rollers fV It is then adjustable so as to be registrable with an out-of-square frame. Also, Ia locky Sii at both bottom corners.

ing device 104, mounted on the slidable sash 14, as showh in FGURE l, has a locking projection which interlocks into a locking groove 105, and the yadjustable rollers enable eXact alignment of the locking projection with the locking groove to be made.

To restrain the sash member 14 from any substantial lateral movement within the metal frame 12, an integral guide 106, made of a plastic, such las nylon, is provided extending outwardly from the base 68 of the roller means Sil flush with the wheel 7ii-although the guide may be axed below the periphery of the wheel depending upon the height of the upstanding ilange 90.

Not only does the guide 166 prevent lateral movement but, since it projects laterally past the outer side Wall 107 of the rail 4t?, it prevents contact of the outer side wall 107 with the outer end wall 98 of the track 22. It will be noted that the inner side wall 168 of the r-ail 40 has 4the weatherstripping 16) mounted thereto, and this weatherstrip prevents metal-to-netal contact between this inner side wall and center ange 102 of the track 22. Thus, a very smooth and relatively frictionless sliding action takes place between the rail 40 and track 22 of my window construction.

A similar guiding means to that just described is used in the upper track 38 of my sash 1S but it should be noted that the guiding means 106 need not be utilized in conjunction with an adjustable roller means, such as my roller means 50. The upper guide means need only separate the rail side wall from the track to permit smooth sliding movement. However, for other reasons, to be described, adjustable roller means, identical to my roller means 50, should preferably be employed in the upper corners of my sash 14.

A second outwardly directed flange 106:1 is preferably provided on the ybase 68 of my roller means 50 to permit the roller means to function in any Acorner of my sash `as a guide means, as well. If the roller means 50 had only flange 106 affixed thereto, such a roller means could only be used to guide the sash in the left hand lower and left hand upper corners of the sash 14. `If mounted in the right hand corners of the sash 14, ange 106 would extend in the direction of the weatherstripping, i.e. upwardly, and there would therefore be no separating and guiding means between the outer walls of rthe rails 38, 40, and the outer walls of the tracks 20, 22 respectively Therefore, the ilange M, which is identical to flange 106 in shape, but oppositely directed, is preferably `also integrally molded onto roller means 50.

The assembler in the field, or in the place of manufacture, can then simply take a roller means Sil, and lit it into any corner of the sash, without having to decide whether it is for a left hand or a right hand corner.

Ordinarily, there is a substantial amount of clearance between the top rail and top track of a slidable closure after it has been mounted within the frame. The amount of clearance is such that the sash may be readily removed from the frame because of glass breakage etc. However, it is desirable, in many instances, to have no clearance at all between the top rail and track so as to prevent tilting in the plane of slidable movement and for other reasons. In order to still have ready removal of sash without the justdescribed clearance, I mount an adjustable roller means 50 in each of the upper corners of my sash 14. These are then adjusted so that they abut a downwardly directed flange (not shown) in the upper track 20. The sash 14 cannot then be tilted in the plane of sliding. However, the sash 14 can be readily removed by merely loosening the adjusting screw 82 of each roller means 59. The roller means 50 will then be movable downwardly to a point almost ush with the top rail 3S of the sash 14; the sash is then readily removed from the il., frame 12 in the usual manner.

While a flat wheel 70 has been shown and described in my roller means, other types of wheels may also be employed such as grooved wheels. Also, other modes of mounting the wheel 70 to the roller body 64 may be employed such as by passing a fastening pin through the axis of the wheel and through the roller body.

Other modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art which lie within the scope of my invention, and therefore AI do not intend to be limited by the preferred embodiment here shown and described, but only by the appended claims which follow.

1 claim:

l. A slidable closure member which comprises: a sash frame having a bottom member, a top member, and a left and right side member joining said bottom and top member, said sash frame having formed thereby left and right lower corners, and left and right upper corners; a generally Vertical, elongated, adjusting slot defined in one of said side members adjacent at least one lower corner thereof; a releasable fastening means engaging structure of said slotted member and extending through said elongated slot; a roller body aixed in position along one of 6 said side members by said releasable fastening means to said one lower corner thereof, said roller body having a normally lower end adapted to mount a roller, said roller body being adapted for translational movement in a generally vertical direction between upper and lower positions upon release of said fastening means; a roller rotatably mounted upon said roller body at said normally lower end; and at least one substantially horizontal flange integral wth said roller body at the lower end thereof and extending outwardly therefrom.

2. A slidable closure member which comprises: a sash frame having a bottom member, a top member, and left and right side members joining said botto-m and top members, said sash frame having formed thereby left and right lower corners, and left and right upper corners; a pocket defined by at least one of said members in at least one lower corner of said sash frame; a generally Vertical, elongated, adjusting slot defined in one of said side members and communicating with said pocket; a roller mounting bracket insertable in said pocket; a releasable clamping means engaging structure of said slotted member and extending through said slot and into said roller mounting bracket, and releasably clamping said roller mounting bracket in a fixed position in said one lower corner of said sash frame, said clamping means being releasable to translation-ally move said roller mounting bracket in a generally vertical direction along one of `said side members between limits dictated by the extremities of said elongated slot; a pair of substantially horizontal flanges integral with said roller mounting bracket at the lower end thereof and extending outwardly therefrom; and a roller rotatably affixed to said roller mounting bracket and projecting below said bottom member when said roller mounting bracket its at its uppermost limit.

3. The slidable closure member of claim 2 wherein said roller mounting bracket and -roller are made of plastic material, and said releasable clamping means is a selftapping screw.

4. A slidable window closure member, which comprises: a window sash frame having an upper and lower rail, and a left and right stile joining said rails, said lower rail and said stiles including a pair of spaced side walls, said `sash frame having formed thereby left and right lower corners, and left and right upper corners; a crossmember aixed to each of said stiles, and extending between the side walls thereof, to form a pocket in each of said stiles near each of the lower corners of said sash frame, said pocket opening into the space between the spaced side walls of said lower rail; a generally vertical slot defined in each of said cross-members in communication with said pocket; releasable clamping means engaging structure of said cross-members, respectively, and extending through said corresponding slots; an elongated roller body mounted in the pocket of each of said Stiles by sa-id clamping means and adapted for translational movement along each of said stiles upon release of said clamping means, the bottom portion of each of said roller bodies extending in between the side walls of said lower rail at the ends thereof; a pair of substantially horizontal flanges integral with each `of said roller bodies at the lower ends thereof and extending outwardly therefrom; and a roller rotatably mounted within each of said roller bodies, each of said rollers being positioned near the bottom of said lower rail when said corresponding clamping means is at its topmost level in said corresponding slot.

S. The slidable closure member of lclaim 4 wherein each roller body defines an elongated channel open at the lower end of said roller body, said corresponding roller being mounted in a lower section of said channel, and said stile and rail corners are respectively joined by a fastening means passing through each of said stile cross-members, thence through an upper section of each of said elongated channels in said roller bodies and into said lower rail.

6. A window construction, which comprises: an outer metal frame including an upper and lower track, said tracks each having a generally vertically extending outer end wall; a slidable closure member longitudinally slidable in said tracks and laterally retained by said end walls, said closure member having an upper and a lower metal rail, each rail having a generally vertical outer side wall; and a plastic roller body translationally positionable in each of said upper and lower rails for mounting a roller and having a horizontal, laterally directed flange extending outwardly beyond said outer side walls 'of said rails, and abutting said outer end wall of each of said tracks, to thereby guide said closure member Iin said tracks and to prevent metaLto-metal contact of said rails with said outer end walls of said tracks.

7. A roller means for a slidable closure, which comprises: an elongated roller body having an elongated channel opening at one end dened by exible side walls, said channel having a normal width when said side walls are not flexed and an integral solid block portion at the other end adapted to engage adjustment means; aligned openings defined by said `side walls; a roller having a normal width substantially equal to said normal width of said channel; and an axle aiiixed to said roller, said roller being mounted lin said channel and held between said tlexible side walls with said axle being supported in said aligned openings, said channel being widened to receive said roller and axle, until said axle is in registry with said aligned openings.

8. The roller means of claim 7 where-in said roller body has at least one horizontal laterally directed flange integrally ailxed to the end of said roller body having said elongated channel.

9. A slidable vclosure member which comprises: a Sash frame having a bottom member, a top member, and left and right side members joining said bottom and top members, said `sash frame having formed thereby lett and right lower corners, and left and right upper corners; a pocket defined by at least one of said members in at least one lower corner of said sash frame; a generally vertical, elongated, adjusting slot deiined in one of said side members and communicating with said pocket; a plastic roller body insertable into said pocket, said roller body having an integral solid block, a pair of resiliently spaced side walls depending from said solid block and defining an elongated channel therein of a normal thickness when said side walls are not resiliently stressed, said side walls 4each having an :opening aligned with the other; a selftapping screw engaging the structure of said slotted merri-` ber and extending through said slot and into said solid block of said roller body for releasably clamping said roller body m a ixed position in said one lower corner of said sash frame, said screw being releasable to translationally move said roller body in a generally vertical direction along one of said side members between limits dictated by the extremities of saidvelongated slot; a horizontal flange affixed to at least one of smd elongated side walls of said roller body and directed outwardly yfrom said elongated channel a distance to abut against a generally vertically extending wall of said bottom member; and a plastic roller, whose thickness is substantially equal to the normal thickness of said elongated channel, having an axle thereon held between said resilient side walls, said axle having its ends supported in the aligned openings of said side walls.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,659,939 Greig Nov. 24, 1953 2,668,318 Le Bon Feb. 9, 1954 2,684,506 Tadd July 27, 1954 2,754,535 Plemeng July 17, 1956 2,784,445 Greig et al Mar. 12, 1957 2,857,633 Bunker Oct. 28, 1958 2,867,859 Brink et al lan. 13, 1959 2,867,860 Anderson Jan. 13, 1959 2,917,792 .Franzblau et al Dec. 22, 1959 2,931,434 Steel Apr. 5, 1960 2,950,756 Moloney Aug. 30, 1960 2,980,947 Rust et al Apr. 25, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 565,564 Canada Nov. 4, 1958 

6. A WINDOW CONSTRUCTION, WHICH COMPRISES: AN OUTER METAL FRAME INCLUDING AN UPPER AND LOWER TRACK, SAID TRACKS EACH HAVING A GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING OUTER END WALL; A SLIDABLE CLOSURE MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID TRACKS AND LATERALLY RETAINED BY SAID END WALLS, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER AND A LOWER METAL RAIL, EACH RAIL HAVING A GENERALLY VERTICAL OUTER SIDE WALL; AND A PLASTIC ROLLER BODY TRANSLATIONALLY POSITIONABLE IN EACH OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER RAILS FOR MOUNTING A ROLLER 